Hero Tales and Legends of the Serbians Part 21

Paul then listened to his wife's entreaties: To the tails of four wild steeds he bound her; Drove them forth across the mighty desert.

Wheresoe'er a drop of blood fell from her, There sprang up the rankest thorns and nettles.

Where her body fell, when dead, the waters Rush'd and formed a lake both still and stagnant.

O'er the lake there swam a small black courser: By his side a golden cradle floated: On the cradle sat a young grey falcon: In the cradle, slumbering, lay an infant: On its throat the white hand of its mother: And that hand a golden knife was holding.

III. THE ABDUCTION OF THE BEAUTIFUL ICONIA

Golden wine drinks Theodore of Stalatch [78]

In his Castle Stalatch, on Morava; Pours him out the wine his aged mother.

While the wine-fumes to his head were rising, Thus his mother spoke unto the hero:

"Son of mine! thou Theodore of Stalatch!

Tell me, wherefore hast thou not espoused thee?

Thou art in thy youthful days of beauty: In thy dwelling now thine aged mother Fain would see thy children play around her."

And he answer'd--Theodore of Stalatch-- "G.o.d is witness, O my aged mother!

I have roamed through many a land and city, But I never found the sought-for maiden; Or, when found the maiden, found I never Friendly feelings in thy mind towards her; And where thou hast shown thy friendly feeling, There I found the maiden false and faithless.

But, as yesterday, at hour of sunset, I was wandering near Ressava's river, Lo! I glanced on thirty lovely maidens On its banks their yarn and linen bleaching: 'Midst them was the beauteous Iconia, Fairest daughter of the Prince Miloutin, He the princely sovereign of Resseva.

She, indeed, would be a bride to cherish; She, indeed, were worthy of thy friendship: But that maiden is betrothed already; She is promised unto George Irene-- To Irene, for Sredoi, his kinsman.

But I'll win that maiden--I will win her, Or will perish in the deed, my mother!"

But his mother counsell'd him and warn'd him-- "Say not so, my son! the maid is promised; 'Tis no jest! she is of monarchs' kindred."

But the hero cared not for his mother: Loud he called to Dobrivoy, his servant-- "Dobrivoy! come hither, trusty servant!

Bring my brown steed forth, and make him ready-- Make him ready with the silver saddle; Rein him with the gold-embroider'd bridle."

When the steed was ready, forth he hasten'd, Flung him on his back, and spurr'd him onward To the gentle river of Morava, Flowing through Ressava's quiet levels.

And he reach'd Ressava's gentle river: There again he saw the thirty maidens-- There he saw the beauteous Iconia.

Then the hero feign'd a sudden sickness; Ask'd for help; and sped her courteous greeting-- "G.o.d above be with thee, lovely maiden!"

And the loveliest to his words made answer, "And with thee be bliss, thou stranger-warrior!"

"Lovely maiden! for the love of heaven, Wilt thou give me one cup of cooling water?

For a fiery fever glows within me; From my steed I dare not rise, fair maiden!

For my steed, he hath a trick of evil-- Twice he will not let his rider mount him."

Warm and earnest was the maiden's pity, And, with gentle voice, she thus addressed him: "Nay! not so--not so, thou unknown warrior!

Harsh and heavy is Ressava's water; Harsh and heavy e'en for healthful warriors; How much worse for fever-sickening tired ones!

Wait, and I a cup of wine will bring thee."

Swiftly tripp'd the maiden to her dwelling; With a golden cup of wine return'd she, Which she reach'd to Theodore of Stalatch.

Out he stretch'd his hand; but not the wine cup, But the maiden's hand, he seized, and flung her, Flung her on his chestnut steed behind him: Thrice he girt her with his leathern girdle, And the fourth time with his sword-belt bound her; And he bore her to his own white dwelling.

CHAPTER XIV: FOLK LORE

I. THE RAM WITH THE GOLDEN FLEECE

Once upon a time when a certain hunter went to the mountains to hunt, there came toward him a ram with golden fleece. The hunter took his rifle to shoot it, but the ram rushed at him and, before he could fire, pierced him with its horns and he fell dead. A few days later some of his friends found his body; they knew not who had killed him and they took the body home and interred it. The hunter's wife hung up the rifle on the wall in her cottage, and when her son grew up he begged his mother to let him take it and go hunting. She, however, would not consent, saying: "You must never ask me again to give you that rifle! It did not save your father's life, and do you wish that it should be the cause of your death?"

One day, however, the youth took the rifle secretly and went out into the forest to hunt. Very soon the same ram rushed out of a thicket and said: "I killed your father; now it is your turn!" This frightened the youth, and ejaculating: "G.o.d help me!" he pressed the trigger of his rifle and, lo! the ram fell dead.

The youth was exceedingly glad to have killed the golden-fleeced ram, for there was not another like it throughout the land. He took off its skin and carried the fleece home, feeling very proud of his prowess. By and by the news spread over the country till it reached the Court, and the king ordered the young hunter to bring him the ram's skin, so that he might see what kind of beasts were to be found in his forests. When the youth brought the skin to the king, the latter said to him: "Ask whatever you like for this skin, and I will give you what you ask!" But the youth answered: "I would not sell it for anything."

It happened that the prime minister was an uncle of the young hunter, but he was not his friend; on the contrary, he was his greatest enemy. So he said to the king: "As he does not wish to sell you the skin, set him something to do which is surely impossible!" The king called the youth back and ordered him to plant a vineyard and to bring him, in seven days' time, some new wine from it. The youth began to weep and implored that he might be excused from such an impossible task; but the king insisted, saying: "If you do not obey me within seven days, your head shall be cut off!"

The Youth finds a Friend

Still weeping, the youth went home and told his mother all about his audience with the king, and she answered: "Did I not tell you, my son, that that rifle would cost you your life?" In deep sorrow and bewilderment the youth went out of the village and walked a long way into the wood. Suddenly a girl appeared before him and asked: "Why do you weep, my brother?" And he answered, somewhat angrily: "Go your way! You cannot help me!" He then went on, but the maiden followed him, and again begged him to tell her the reason of his tears, "for perhaps," she added, "I may, after all, be able to help you." Then he stopped and said: "I will tell you, but I know that G.o.d alone can help me." And then he told her all that had happened to him, and about the task he had been set to do. When she heard the story, she said: "Do not fear, my brother, but go and ask the king to say exactly where he would like the vineyard planted, and then have it dug in perfectly straight lines. Next you must go and take a bag with a sprig of basil in it, and lie down to sleep in the place where the vineyard is to be, and in seven days you will see that there are ripe grapes."

He returned home and told his mother how he had met a maiden who had told him to do a ridiculous thing. His mother, however, said earnestly: "Go, go, my son, do as the maiden bade; you cannot be in a worse case anyhow." So he went to the king as the girl had directed him, and the king gratified his wish. However, he was still very sad when he went to lie down in the indicated place with his sprig of basil.

When he awoke next morning he saw that the vines were already planted; on the second morning they were clothed with leaves; and, by the seventh day, they bore ripe grapes. Notwithstanding the girl's promise the youth was surprised to find ripe grapes at a time of year when they were nowhere to be found; but he gathered them, made wine, and taking a basketful of the ripe fruit with him, went to the king.

The Second Task

When he reached the palace, the king and the whole court were amazed. The prime minister said: "We must order him to do something absolutely impossible!" and advised the king to command the youth to build a castle of elephants' tusks.

Upon hearing this cruel order the youth went home weeping and told his mother what had transpired, adding: "This, my mother, is utterly impossible!" But the mother again advised him, and said: "Go, my son, beyond the village; may be you will again meet that maiden!"

The youth obeyed, and, indeed, as soon as he came to the place where he had found the girl before, she appeared before him and said: "You are again sad and tearful, my brother!" And he began to complain of the second impossible task which the king had set him to perform. Hearing this, the girl said: "This will also be easy; but first go to the king and ask him to give you a ship with three hundred barrels of wine and as many kegs of brandy, and also twenty carpenters. Then, when you arrive at such and such a place, which you will find between two mountains, dam the water there, and pour into it all the wine and brandy. Elephants will come down to that spot to drink water, and will get drunk and fall on the ground. Then your carpenters must at once cut off their tusks, and carry them to the place where the king wishes his castle to be built. There you may all lie down to sleep, and within seven days the castle will be ready."

When the youth heard this, he hurried home, and told his mother all about the plan of the maiden. The mother was quite confident, and counselled her son to do everything as directed by the maiden. So he went to the king and asked him for the ship, the three hundred barrels of wine and brandy, as well as the twenty carpenters; and the king gave him all he wanted. Next he went where the girl had told him, and did everything she had advised. Indeed, the elephants came as was expected, drank, and then duly fell down intoxicated. The carpenters cut off the innumerable tusks, took them to the chosen place, and began building, and in seven days the castle was ready. When the king saw this, he was again amazed, and said to his prime minister: "Now what shall I do with him? He is not an ordinary youth! G.o.d alone knows who he is!" Thereupon the officer answered: "Give him one more order, and if he executes it successfully, he will prove that he is a supernatural being."

The Third Task

Thus he again advised the king, who called the youth and said to him: "I command you to go and bring me the princess of a certain kingdom, who is living in such and such a castle. If you do not bring her to me, you will surely lose your life!" When the youth heard this, he went straight to his mother and told her of this new task; whereupon the mother advised him to seek his girl friend once more. He hurried to where beyond the village he had met the girl before, and as he came to the spot she reappeared. She listened intently to the youth's account of his last visit to the court, and then said: "Go and ask the king to give you a galley; in the galley there must be made twenty shops with different merchandise in each; in each shop there must, also, be a handsome youth to sell the wares. On your voyage you will meet a man who carries an eagle; you must buy his eagle and pay for it whatever price he may ask. Then you will meet a second man, in a boat carrying in his net a carp with golden scales; you must buy the carp at any cost. The third man whom you will meet, will be carrying a dove, which you must also buy. Then you must take a feather from the eagle's tail, a scale from the carp, and a feather from the left wing of the dove, and give the creatures their freedom. When you reach that distant kingdom and are near the castle in which the princess resides, you must open all shops and order each youth to stand at his door. And the girls who come down to the sh.o.r.e to fetch water are sure to say that no one ever saw a ship loaded with such wonderful and beautiful things in their town before; and then they will go and spread the news all over the place. The news will reach the ears of the princess, who will at once ask her father's permission to go and visit the galley. When she comes on board with her ladies-in-waiting, you must lead the party from one shop to another, and bring out and exhibit before her all the finest merchandise you have; thus divert her and keep her on board your galley until evening, then you must suddenly set sail; for by that time it will be so dark that your departure will be unnoticed. The princess will have a favourite bird on her shoulder, and, when she perceives that the galley is sailing off, she will turn the bird loose and it will fly to the palace with a message to her father of what has befallen her. When you see that the bird has flown you must burn the eagle's feather; the eagle will appear, and, when you command it to catch the bird, it will instantly do so. Next, the princess will throw a pebble into the sea, and the galley will immediately be still. Upon this you must burn the scale of the carp at once; the carp will come to you and you must instruct it to find the pebble and swallow it. As soon as this is done, the galley will sail on again. Then you will proceed in peace for a while; but, when you reach a certain spot between two mountains, your galley will be suddenly petrified and you will be greatly alarmed. The princess will then order you to bring her some water of life, whereupon you must burn the feather of the dove, and when the bird appears you must give it a small flask in which it will bring you the elixir, after which your galley will sail on again and you will arrive home with the princess without further adventure."

The youth returned to his mother and she advised him to do as the girl counselled him. So he went to the king and asked for all that was necessary for his undertaking, and the king again gave him all he asked for.

On his voyage everything was accomplished as the girl had foretold, and he succeeded in bringing home the princess in triumph. The king and his prime minister from the balcony of the palace saw the galley returning, and the prime minister said: "Now you really must have him killed as soon as he lands; otherwise you will never be able to get rid of him!"

When the galley reached the port, the princess first came ash.o.r.e with her ladies-in-waiting; then the handsome young men who had sold the wares, and finally the youth himself. The king had ordered an executioner to be in readiness, and as soon as the youth stepped on sh.o.r.e he was seized by the king's servants and his head was chopped off.

It was the king's intention to espouse the beautiful princess, and, as soon as he saw her, he approached her with compliments and flattery. But the princess would not listen to his honeyed words; she turned away and asked: "Where is my captor, who did so much for me?" And, when she saw that his head had been cut off, she immediately took the small flask and poured some of its contents over the body and, lo! the youth arose in perfect health. When the king and his minister saw this marvellous thing, the latter said: "This young man must now be wiser than ever, for was he not dead, and has he not returned to life?" Whereupon the king, desirous of knowing if it were true that one who has been dead knows all things when he returns to life, ordered the executioner to chop off his head, that the princess might bring him to life again by the power of her wonderful water of life.